One Last Adventure
by Raven Silvers
Summary: Set 3 years after Allen's tragic death. The League are called back into action to stop a madman from starting a new world war, with the help of an old ally long thought dead. (rated PG just to be safe) COMPLETE [sorry, folks, chapter 10.]
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One  
  
Mina walked briskly down the foggy streets of London, on her way back home. Her hands were stuffed in her pockets, and her auburn hair was tucked neatly in a fur cap. Although it was bitterly cold, it failed to bring even the slightest hint of a flush to her pale cheeks. She had been at the theatre a few minutes before, watching Romeo and Juliet.  
Rodney Skinner was in the mood of another pocket, so he had come out to the empty streets of London when his eyes fell on a very familiar figure. He smiled and walked noiselessly across the road, invisible to anyone who might be out at this late hour. He had left his clothes somewhere safe. Moving briskly, Skinner dipped his hand into Mina's pocket, and whispered in her ear, "Looking as good as three years ago, Mina."  
Mina jumped, and turned around, recognizing the Cockney accent anywhere. "Skinner!"  
"And a great big hello to you too, Mina," Skinner smiled, although he knew she couldn't see him. He stepped away from her and opened her purse, looking for some money. "How's it been going, Mina? Don't think your friend Skinner here's still a spy, do you?"  
She looked at him coldly. At least, to where her purse was hanging in midair. "I thought that was cleared up years ago."  
Skinner blew out a low whistle as he took out a hundred pounds from her purse, then shook it to see if there was any more money inside. "Hope you don't mind, love, but a gentleman thief can't leave any exceptions, even to an old friend."  
She scowled and he handed the purse back to her. "Indeed. I thought you were given the antidote when we returned from Mongolia?"  
"Nup, decided to stay invisible," he said. "More fun that way. Besides, what good is pinching people's bums when they can catch you?"  
She scowled again, not relishing the memory of the bum-squeezing incident three years ago. Suddenly, a light appeared down the street, and the two turned to look at it. Actually, it was two lights, and they seemed to be riding themselves. The roar of engines quickly filled the air, and they leaped out of the way when a gleaming white automobile ran over the place that they were standing minutes ago.  
As Mina looked up at the driver of the all-too familiar automobile, she stood up and smiled. Skinner swore and pushed himself up, dusting of some pebbles from his chest.  
"Well, Sawyer," he said dryly, walking up to the front of the car. "You trying to make me not have children? You DO remember that my extremities are not covered, don't you?"  
Tom got out of the car, smiling. "Who would want to have kids with you in the first place?"  
Mina pulled her hair back into her cap as Skinner snorted indigantly. "Hello, Tom."  
"Same to you," Tom turned to look at her, and then stumbled forward when Skinner gave him an almighty clap to the back. "Whoa!"  
"And that's your reward for nearly running me over!" Skinner's voice came.  
Tom straightened himself, a boyish grin on his boyish features.  
"Why do you have Nemo's automobile, Tom?" Mina asked. She thought that all the members of the League had gone their separate ways after Mongolia.  
"Oh." Tom's face fell. "We need to go somewhere. Now."  
"The League." It was a statement, not a question, by Mina. Tom nodded.  
"Oh, brilliant." Skinner's voice suggested anything but. "So here we go on a wild goose chase around the world, looking for a big, evil man. So when's the part when I get to sneak onto a ship and become a fried crisp?"  
  
Both Sawyer and Mina give him withering looks. Skinner, wisely, kept quiet and threw open the rear door of the automobile, then stepped inside. Tom looked at Mina and held open the other door for her. She stepped in, and then they were off.  
  
Nemo had sent Tom off for Mina and Skinner, and expected him only in a few hours. So, he had left his new lieutenant in charge of the Nautilus, and went to look for Henry Jekyll. He silently hoped that he hadn't taken the potion in the past three years.  
He had gotten Henry's address in England from certain.contacts. Now, he stood in front of the door, waiting for the doctor to open it, having knocked it seconds ago. He heard the shuffling of feet, then a yawn. The door was then opened, revealing a disheveled looking Jekyll, whose already- wide saucer eyes widened at the sight of the Sikh captain.  
"Captain!"  
"Good evening, doctor," Nemo nodded. He was relieved that the somewhat misguided doctor wasn't Hyde. "May I come in?"  
"Oh, yes, oh yes," Jekyll stood aside to let his friend in. "Nemo, what are you doing here?" He was whispering; he didn't want to awaken Marie, his wife of two years. "I thought you hated England."  
"I do," Nemo whispered back. He knew that Jekyll had married a Marie Sanders, whose father ran a small bakery. "But there is some.League business that we need to discuss."  
Jekyll nodded. "Let us talk in the library. Marie wouldn't hear us there."  
He led the way to the small but cramped library. "Sorry for the mess," he apologized, stepping over some books strewn on the floor. "I'm not a very neat person unless Marie cleans up after me."  
Nemo didn't speak. Jekyll gestured to a chair and Nemo sat down.  
"So, what concerns the League?"  
"Grave peril again, doctor," Nemo replied. "Although I suggest that we talk only when the others arrive." Jekyll nodded his understanding, then leaned back in his chair and sighed.  
"It will require Hyde to come out again, won't it?"  
"I'm afraid so, Doctor. Although I am not sure, but.possibly."  
Jekyll had stopped hearing Hyde in his head a long time ago, and he enjoyed the silence, and the discontinuing torment. He sighed again and closed his eyes.  
"Doctor, will you help us?" Nemo asked, his tone dropping from that of captain to that of understanding friend. "One last time."  
Jekyll opened his eyes. "One last time," he echoed. "In the morning, then?"  
Nemo nodded and stood up. Jekyll showed him out, then went back to bed. 


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2  
  
Morning came, a majestic explosion of colors of red, blues and golds. Mina met Skinner - and his clothes - on the way to her breakfast.  
"G'day, Mina," Skinner yawned. She raised a brow. As they entered the dining room, they saw Tom ready to pig out, staring as a serving man set delicious platters on the table. "Stop drooling, Tom. You'll sink the ship if you keep on like that."  
"I can't help it." Tom threw back. "It looks so damn...tasty."  
Skinner rolled his eyes, even though they couldn't see through the black prince-nez glasses. Jekyll came in with Nemo, and Tom waved. Jekyll smiled back.  
"Shall we eat?" Nemo asked, looking at his guests.  
"Oh yeah," Tom whispered to himself as he took a seat between the vampire and invisible man. As the League members ate and caught up, Mina noticed that Jekyll wasn't touching anything. She said as much.  
"Oh," Jekyll smiled. "Marie fed me like a pig before I left."  
"Marie?" Tom asked through a mouth full of scone, his voice muffled. "Who's Marie?"  
"My wife," Jekyll beamed. Skinner dropped his fork. It clattered on the marble tabletop.  
"Sorry. Gloves are wet," he mumbled, picking it back up, giving the first excuse he could think of. Mina smiled, ignoring his faux pas.  
"Congratulations!" she was sincerely happy for the fellow man of science. It was good that he had found love. "How long?"  
"Two years," Jekyll said proudly.  
"Wow," Tom swallowed his scone. "That's great. Any kids yet?" No one asked if she knew about his alter ego. If she did, then she was the most understanding woman on earth. If she didn't, then she was living in blissful ignorance.  
"Alas, no, but we're trying for one."  
Skinner nodded and stuffed his mouth with a piece of buttered toast, not trusting himself to say anything.  
  
A few hours later, their meeting ended in the stateroom. Apparently, some madman was running around, planning to blow up the Nobel Prize Award Ceremony in Olso, Norway. If that happened, then there would be a world war, seeing that the winners, whoever they were, held the scale of peace in many countries in their hands.  
"So, we're supposed to stop this guy before Olso goes boom?" Skinner asked, crossing his arms across his chest.  
"Yes," Nemo nodded. He had explained, with the help of Tom, that the American Secret Service had gotten wind of the plot and had sent Tom to gather the League to stop it. "We have three days."  
"Same time limit as last time," Jekyll observed. "Well, at least we are working with something familiar."  
"Indeed," Mina looked at him. "I assume we leave dock soon?"  
"Half hour," Nemo supplied. "Once the solar panels charge, we leave."  
  
At a thin slot at the side of the room, a piece of paper began to print. Nemo went over and ripped it out as soon as it finished.  
"It seems that we will be leaving now," he told them. The panels had finished charging. He went out the door, then to the bridge.  
  
The great Nautilus rose out of the sea, a few hours away from the coasts of Norway. On the deck, the hatch opened and Skinner stepped out into the bright sunlight, followed by Tom, who carried his Winchester over his shoulder.  
"Nice," Skinner commented, looking out onto the water. "Water looks the same, though."  
"Whaddaya think it would be?" Tom asked. "Purple?"  
Skinner grinned. "Wouldn't mind if it were, really. Be a refreshing change."  
"You are a weird man, Skinner. A very weird man."  
"A man gets no respect, here," Skinner's grin widened.  
"Indeed." Tom turned and saw Jekyll coming up behind them, coming to stand next to Skinner. "Although that depends on your definition of 'weird'."  
"True," Skinner said. "Tom, you deal with an invisible man and a - no offense, Jekyll - beast. Isn't that weird enough for you?"  
"Well, I say. You've out-talked me, Skinner."  
"I'd better. Been working on it for three years, Tom."  
The three men leaned against the rail, watching the water stream psat them, leaving a white foam in their wake.  
"You know, after this," Tom said quietly, "I want to go visit Kenya. See Allen again."  
"Tell him about this adventure," Jekyll added. "He would've loved it."  
"Yeah," Tom said.  
"But he isn't here for all the fun," Skinner looked out at the ocean. "M, that bastard, killed him. Killed a good man."  
"You're a liar, Skinner," Tom looked at his friend, in white face cream. "You're really a softie at heart."  
"Didn't deny it after the first hundred or so times," Skinner gave a small smile. Allen had said the same thing, three years ago.  
"Yes, but he was more than a man," Jekyll said. The other two men looked at him. Jekyll smiled at them; he knew they thought he was talking about Hyde. "Allen Quatermain was a friend." 


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: WARNING!!! Chapter contains mild violence and language. *I'm a sissy, so I'm warning the other sissies out there first. Don't want it weighing on my conscience.*  
  
CHAPTER 3  
  
"Remind me WHY I signed up for this?" Skinner asked Tom as they ducked behind a large leather couch, hiding from the bullets that the iron- clad bad guys were intent on filling them with.  
"Shut up, Skinner." Tom reloaded his Winchester as quickly as he could when part of the ornate wooden bookcase opposite them splintered, hit by a bullet fired from one of M's last remaining automatic guns. Tom took aim, then peeked over the couch and fired blindly, ducking back just in time to miss another speeding bullet by a very comfortable inch.  
Beside him, the invisible man was rubbing the cream off his face as fast as he could with the discarded coast and gloves. "See ya, Sawyer." With that, Tom felt a slight breeze as Skinner left the relative safety of the couch, which was quickly becoming Swiss cheese.  
Tom had no idea where the others were; all he knew was that they were in an Oslo library (leaving Jekyll in the Nautilus) - where, sources had told them, a meeting was going to take place between the madman and an unknown person - when suddenly shots had begun to rain on them like a London summer. Unfortunately, these enemies were armed with the late M's weapons; at least, replicas. Someone had either done his homework, or dug up M's old plans. Either way, it wasn't good. He saw, from the sides of the couch, a book float in midair - Skinner - and whack an automatic-weapon holder repeatedly on the head until he collapsed. It would've been hilarious if it wasn't for the circumstances.  
He peeked over the couch again and fired.  
  
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Mina was taking care of the marksmen on the higher levels of the library, ripping out their throats and having a meal. Hundreds of bats flew above the fighters below, screeching and attacking those unlucky enough to be on the higher levels. The bloodlust she could hold back no longer, evident in the savage way she ripped out throats. Blood dripped from the gaps between the rails and onto the lower floor of the magnificent library. A feral growl was heard from somewhere above, causing some of the marksmen to look up nervously.  
  
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Meanwhile, Nemo was fighting like...well, Nemo. His limbs were a fury of punches and kicks, and the armored opponents were struck down one by one. He used anything he could get his hands on: chair and table legs, books, leather bindings, lamps, and the like. He was like a whirlwind, ripping through the library, very much the same way he did in Dorian Gray's library a long time ago.  
  
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Skinner was enjoying himself, grabbing guns by their nozzles and kicking their owners in the shins.  
"Sorry, mate," he grinned, taking a gun from its unconscious bearer and hurling it at his friend before he could open fire. The butt of the gun hit the marksmen full in the face, and he fell to the floor, dazed. Skinner stepped on him as he ran over to the other side of the library, intent on getting out of the way of the tongues of flames that nearly nicked him.  
  
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Tom swore. An ironclad flame-thrower was somewhere around; he could smell the acrid smoke and hear Skinner's yelp of surprise. He scowled and looked over the couch to see the flame-thrower making its way to the couch. No good. If it got Tom's cover, you get a Tom Sawyer a la fried crisp.  
He ran for some inflammable cover when the flame-thrower man was shot down from behind, much to his surprise. As the seven-foot tall man fell, Tom saw who had saved his life: a marksman whom Mina hadn't reached, standing at the railing directly opposite, holding an elephant gun that looked vaguely familiar.  
Tom didn't have any more time than that, because he hit his head on a bookcase and blacked out.  
  
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Although the members of the League fought brutally, the battle would not have been won without the mysterious sniper, who took out about half of the seemingly-never-ending gunmen.  
As the last of their enemies fell, Skinner ran over to where Tom lay, having loss consciousness minutes before. He knelt down and slapped the Secret Service agent repeatedly with such force that it left red marks.  
The sounds resounded through the empty library. Mina appeared in a fluttered of hundreds of wings, and Nemo checked to see all the baddies were dead. The mysterious sniper came down from the higher levels; Mina hadn't gotten to him in her feeding frenzy. When he pulled away the scarf that had covered most of his face, Mina stifled a cry of surprise; the man she saw was dead. Or was supposed to be, anyway.  
Allan Quatermain!  
Skinner turned around at her cry and nearly fell over Tom. "Mr. Q?!"  
Even Nemo seemed surprised. "Mr. Quatermain!"  
The supposedly-late Allan Quatermain nodded at his friends and stepped over the damaged books to help Skinner in reviving Tom. He was careful not to step on Skinner. "Skinner, get some clothes on so I can see you," his accented voice came. "Bring some brandy, if there is any." He slapped Tom. "Come on, boy, wake up..."  
Skinner complied immediately. He took up his coat and gloves, then dug around in his pockets. He produced a gleaming sliver hip flask filled with Scotch.  
"Will Scotch do?" the floating coat asked Allan as he handed the flask to him. Allan nodded and poured some into Tom's mouth. Tom reacted immediately: the Scotch flew up into the air in a stream of amber, and the young American sat up groggily, rubbing the back of his head.  
"Oh. OW." He grimaced. Then he saw Allan and blinked. "I must've hit my head harder than I thought."  
"Nup, mate, you didn't," Skinner interjected. "I see him too. Unless I hit my head too. Funny, I don't remember." "Eyes open, boy," Allan chided Tom. "Can't take care of you all the time."  
"Allan Quatermain..." Nemo whispered. "Is it really you?"  
"Who do you expect?" Allan shot back. "Your Aunt Polly?"  
Nemo lifted a brow and Tom and Skinner stared. "But you're supposed to be dead!"  
"I know." A smiled lifted the thin lips of the hunter. "But Africa wouldn't let me die. A witch doctor brought me back."  
Skinner looked at Mina. Mina looked at Tom. Tom looked at Nemo. Nemo looked at Allan, saying: "We need to bring you back to the Nautilus." 


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4  
  
SOMEWHERE IN OSLO, NORWAY  
NAUTILUS  
  
Jekyll met his friends as they boarded the Nautilus. His reaction to Allan's presence was almost exactly the same as Tom's. As they adjourned to the stateroom, Jekyll kept staring at Allan, much to his discomfort.  
"How did he come back?" Jekyll whispered to Skinner, with whom he had formed a close friendship. After all, the social outcasts had to stick together, didn't they?  
"Don't know myself, really," Skinner replied, not bothering to lower his voice. "So, Mr. Q, how did you come back?"  
"Its good to know you haven't shut up, Skinner," Allan said dryly. Skinner grinned. In the stateroom, Nemo questioned Allan about all the hows, whos, wheres and whens.  
"See here, Nemo," Allan leaned forward in his chair. "I've been all over the world since I came back from the dead, looking for you. Unfortunately, I didn't want to make contact because of Felix."  
"Who?" Tom asked, sitting on the table.  
Allan sighed. "You don't know, do you?"  
"Know what?"  
"The madman - I assume you know he wants to send the world into war." At their nods, he continued. "His name is Felix Maddox, and he managed to get M's plans...he's been making the weapons en masse, using a factory somewhere."  
"Just like M," Mina said thoughtfully. The memory of killing her former lover had never really escaped her.  
"Just like M," Allan agreed. "He was planning to meet up with one James Seymour to plan their attack on London."  
"London?" Tom exclaimed. He looked at Skinner.  
"I thought he was planning to attack Oslo?" Mina asked. Allan shook his head.  
"No, it's London. I'm sure of it; I overheard some of the marksmen you took out talking, Mina. 'London's our sweet dove,' one of them said."  
"Seems that this Maddox guy is smarter than we thought, eh?" Skinner said. "Outwitting us so early in the game."  
"He hasn't outwitted us yet, Skinner," Allan said. "We - I - know that he planned to lure you away from London so it would be easier for him to take over."  
"But what does he want?" Jekyll spoke up, frowning. "London doesn't have much in the way of power."  
"He wants to seize the throne, doesn't he?" Mina deduced. "If he takes the throne, then there is not much anyone could do about it."  
Allan nodded. "That's what I think he's planning to do. Storm London when they least expect it, when they don't have any safeguards or protection against his weapons."  
Nemo looked thoughtful. "We can make it to London in three days."  
Allan shook his head. "We wouldn't make it in time. He's planning to move soon. Within the next two days, at least."  
"But how can he move so fast?" Tom frowned. "I thought the Nautilus was faster than anything I've heard of."  
"Who said Maddox had to been in Norway?"  
"He's in London?!"  
"Not in London, but somewhere near," Allan looked at his protégée, studied the lines of the face, the stance, the confidence, the way he carried himself. Inwardly, he smiled. The boy had become a man. "Perhaps on the outskirts of the city."  
"We need to get there as fast as we can." Tom stated. *Indeed,* Allan thought. *The boy has become a man. Perhaps a even leader of men. And women.* he added in his thoughts, glancing at Mina. "Nemo, what about that thing that Dorian took last time?"  
Although Tom didn't notice it, Skinner saw that Mina flinched at the mention of Dorian Gray.  
"The Nautipod?" Nemo asked. Tom nodded.  
"That thing." Nemo looked slightly offended that Tom had called the Nautipod a 'thing'. "How fast can it go?"  
"Faster than the Nautilus, I assure you." The captain was beginning to see what Tom had in mind. "Much faster. It could reach London before the Nautilus."  
"And start the attack," Jekyll nodded. "The Nautilus could catch up and be the cavalry."  
"Exactly." Allan approved of the doctor's fast thinking. "Some of us could go in the Nautipod first."  
"Get to London, thrash the baddies, save the world," Skinner said. "Sounds good to me."  
"So whaddaya waiting for?" Tom stood up and hefted the Winchester. "Let's move!"  
  
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LONDON, ENGLAND  
OUTSKIRTS OF THE CITY  
  
The room in the factory was every bit as depressing as the rain pattering against the dirty windows. There was only a table littered with the remnants of a meal, a chair and a gas lamp that swayed precariously above the table, casting crazy shadows on the grimy walls. Felix Maddox paced the length of the floor in the factory that his laborers produced the cutting-edge weapons in. *Production is moving too slow, he thought, pacing faster. We need to be ready soon.* Then, he paused and thought about the trap that the League had walked straight into. Stupid idiots...they didn't expect it, to be sure. He preened. He was a genius! He was better than Moriaty, when it came to this kind of thing. Only problem was, Moriaty had wanted profit; he wanted power. Full power of the Throne. Full power of the world.  
Soon, the sound of footsteps were heard as someone walked up to the heavy iron door that separated the room from others. A knock came.  
"Come in," Felix barked. The door was pushed open, a loud screeching of metal against metal. A young man entered, shoes clicking against the floor. "What's the news, man?" Felix asked his lieutenant, a young striking man.  
"They're moving as fast as humanely possible, Maddox," the man told his boss. "The weapons should be ready by tomorrow night."  
Felix nodded and sat down at the table, pushing aside what was left of his meal. "Good. What about Norway? Any news?"  
"The League members are all dead," the man reported. "Word just came in from Martine."  
"Excellent." The League is out of my way now he thought. *I should have no obstacles anymore. 'League of Extraordinary Gentlemen' indeed! They were stupid enough to fall for my trick. Now they're dead. HAH!* "Try and get those people down there to work faster. I'm impatient to get moving."  
"Yes, sir." The man left.  
  
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LONDON, ENGLAND  
DEEP IN THE CITY  
  
In the darkness of the cramped cupboard that had become his home for the past months, a suave man leaned back and grinned. He had sent the signal; now all he needed to do was wait. *She would be proud.* He thought of the woman whom he had always loved: her green eyes and red hair. *She would've been so proud.*  
The signal apparatus lay in front of him, used as it would be used again, in the near future. *And she hated me for all that I did to her.* He leaned back in the cramped space. *To her friends. Well, forever is a long time.*  
*Time is a good and bad thing. It can make people, break them. Everyone wants to do what they can - adventure, fame, nobility - while others have eternity. Like me. Eternity. Ah, the complexities of life. An idle wish has now become the biggest curse. And in that wish, I have become what I am today...trying to make up for my past, so full of mistakes. Eternity. Oh, the curse of forever. Perhaps, with this one deed, I can make up for all that I've done. Perhaps. Even if I don't...I'll have other chances.*  
"After all," he said to himself. "Eternity is a long time." 


	5. Chapter 5

In response to one of the reviews (and I do appreciate it, mind): its more fun to have Skinner not take the antidote (which really exists *wink*) and stay invisible and also to have the League go their separate ways after Venice. Thank you all for the reviews! (Especially Wolf-of-Black-Dawn, Vulcaine7 and TheInvisibleStef!)  
  
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NAUTIPOD  
  
SOMEWHERE IN THE OCEAN  
  
Mina looked out the large porthole of the Nautipod, squinting in the bright sunlight. In the new and improved version of the Nautipod, there was space for several men to sit or stand. Skinner, Mina, Tom, and Allan were on the pod, with Nemo having given Tom a crash course on how to steer it.  
She was thinking deep. *Dorian Gray* she mused. *The man after Jonathan, my late husband. The man who would live forever, like me. The only one who could truly understand the meaning of being lonely. My love.*  
She sighed, crossed her arms across her chest. *He truly was a good man, somewhere deep inside. There was good inside that soul.* she thought of the portrait that hung in her cabin. Dorian's portrait. She had found it in the ashes of the factory in Mongolia, and had kept it as a memoir. Every so often, she would take it out and just gaze at his handsome features, remembering the times that they had had...  
*But he was the turncoat.* she thought bitterly. *He killed Ishmael, nearly killed us all with that explosive gimmick of his. His interests always came first.*  
Then she wondered what had drawn her to him. His looks? Not likely. His charm? Perhaps. She knew, the very first time she met him, that they had something in common: immortality. While his weakness was his damnable portrait, hers was a stake through her heart. But that hadn't mattered, not at first. *I loved him like I loved Jonathan. Maybe even more.* Then she chided herself for thinking like that. Jonathan Harker had been a good man.  
  
She sensed, rather than saw, Skinner come up to her, totally invisible.  
"Don't try and fool me, Skinner," she said.  
A chuckle from him. "Heh. Thought I had you there." A pause. "You miss him, don't you?"  
She looked at where she thought he stood. "What makes you say that?"  
"Well, Mina, love," he shifted his weight to one foot, although she couldn't see it. "You have that look on your face. The one that means you're either thinking about some chemical thing or Dorian. Pick one. Me, I'm going with Dorian."  
She sighed. Since when had Skinner become so smart? "He's... hard to forget."  
Skinner snorted. "In more than one way, to be sure." He touched his waist, where he had been burned by a seven-foot guy in armor and welding a flame thrower; the burns were still there. He flinched at the memory of the pain. "Scar's all the reminder I need. His picture is with you, innit?"  
"Yes." She swallowed. How did he know? Only she knew that the picture hadn't been destroyed in the explosion. "Were you in my room?"  
"No, I followed you when you went scouting at the factory. Was Jekyll mad, I tell you!" he mimicked Jekyll's voice. "'You shouldn't be out of bed! The burn's haven't healed yet!'"  
A faint touch of a smile touches Mina's lips. "He cares for his patients."  
"True." Skinner leaned against the glass. "And he likes a...certain...ah, female doctor."  
An elegant brow lifted. "What do you mean?"  
Skinner didn't answer at first, but pulled on his trenchcoat, which had been resting on the floor. Then the greasepaint can came out, and slowly, Skinner's physiography could be seen. Only then did he reply. "Not telling."  
He had seen the way Jekyll looked at Mina, and had confronted him the day before. Stammering, Jekyll had admitted that he was in love with Mina, much to Skinner's (hidden) distress and delight for his friend. Except, the doctor was too terrified to tell Mina about his feelings for her. See, Skinner was also in love with Mina. And so was Sawyer, although he didn't say anything.  
At Mina's withering glance, Skinner shrugged. "Don't you notice the way he looks at you?" Mina shook her head and Skinner brought the palm of his gloved hand to his forehead. "You haven't noticed! Oh god, is everyone so stupid around here?" He was going for melodramatic. "Mina, the way he looks at you! He likes you so much, although he's too chicken to say anything about it."  
"He's in love with you, Mina!"  
She was genuinely shocked. Henry Jekyll was in love with her? She thought back to what a fortune teller had once told her: "A man with many demons lusts after you."  
*Many demons indeed.* she thought, thinking of Hyde. A small smile escaped her luscious lips.  
"What's so funny?" Skinner asked.  
"Nothing," she replied. "Although I suggest that you keep this information to yourself in future, Skinner. One never knows when a friendship might crumble."  
"Like cookies?"  
Mina rolled her eyes and turned and walked away.  
  
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LONDON, ENGLAND  
  
DEEP IN THE CITY  
  
Dorian Gray stepped out onto the wet cobblestone street, feeling the rain pattering down on the rags that he called clothes. The past few months, the rain was his bathwater. After the sheer miracle of returning to civilization, Dorian had been so poor (his house had been seized by the bank after his "death") that he had joined the tramps of the city.  
*And to think that I lived in a mansion for so long.*  
Life was ironic, cruelly so. Dorian was hungry and cold, but he was flat broke. Besides, if he didn't eat, he wouldn't die anyway. *Such is the benefits of immortality.* Dorian opened his eyes and looked around, looking for some scrap of food or something. It was almost midnight, and he wasn't exactly expecting a morsel of food. Suddenly, he heard the clanking of gears and the sound of metal against stone. Turning, he saw a tank coming towards him! Jumping out of the way, he watched in awe as a procession of tanks filed past him, soundlessly. His mouth fell open. They were moving faster than planned. Moving the weapons to the safehouse...Then he saw what truly shocked him to the core, even though he had lived long enough to see many shocking things.  
A tank half the size of Buckingham Palace.  
"Oh my god..."  
  
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NAUTIPOD  
THE THAMES, LONDON  
  
The pod surfaced in the middle of Thames, causing gentle ripples on the surface of the calm water. It had stopped raining abut an hour ago, and the air smelt like fresh grass. The sky was clear; the moon was like a swollen melon against black velvet dotted with gleaming diamonds. As the pod moved slowly to shore, Allan looked out at the scene and sighed.  
"Brings back old memories, doesn't it?" Tom came up to stand next to his mentor.  
"Indeed." There was silence between the two friends. "You know," Allan said, looking at his protégée. "What's its like to be a leader now, don't you?"  
Tom smiled and looked out the porthole. "I learned from the best."  
"The best?" Allan smiled.  
"The best," Tom confirmed. "He was a real leader, this guy I learned from. In more than one way."  
Allan knew who Tom was referring to. "Tom...you yourself is now a leader. The one who is supervising the League. When I saw you a few days ago, after these years, I thought... 'Tom has become a man. Even a leader of men.' You make your decisions, you walk your own path, and yet you shoulder your burden alone. You were a boy when we first met; now, you are truly a man."  
Tom was moved by that vote of confidence more than he could say. "Thank you."  
The pod stopped moving, and both men could see that they had reached shore. Allan hefted his replacement Matilda and was leaving when Tom called him.  
"What is it, boy?"  
  
"I thought you said I wasn't a boy anymore," Tom grinned.  
"You're still younger than me, I can still call you a boy!"  
Tom laughed and threw the second Winchester at his friend. "Figured you would want it."  
Allan caught it with expert and surprising grace, examined it, then dropped the replacement. "Good taste, boy. Now, shall we move?" 


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6  
  
LONDON, ENGLAND  
  
DEEP IN THE CITY  
  
Dorian stumbled and slipped his way back into his cupboard and nearly fell over his signal apparatus. He had to get word to the League that Maddox was moving ahead of plan. Yanking the headset from its stand, he pulled it on with one hand as he started the process of sending his Morse code. *This is not good, not good. How could he move so fast? It's not possible. If he moves now, at midnight...they don't stand a chance.*  
  
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LONDON, ENGLAND EDGE OF THE THAMES RIVER  
  
They were almost on shore when Allan heard the Morse code signal coming from the transceiver.  
"Wait," he ordered. "There's a message coming in."  
"I don't hear anything," Skinner said, pausing on his way out of the hatch. "Or am I deaf?"  
They ignored the invisible man as Allan pushed himself down the hatch and into the cockpit, where he frantically copied down the signals. He drew a line where there was a pause in the signal:  
  
--|.-|-..|-..|---|-..-| | --|---|...-|..|-.|--.| |-|---|-.|..|-- .|....|-|.-.-| | -..|--.  
  
"What's it say?" Mina asked, looking over Allan's shoulder when he realized that the message was repeating itself.  
"'Maddox moving tonight'," Allan replied. "Coming from somebody called DG."  
"DG?" Tom asked. "Initials?"  
"Perhaps," Allan said. "But we have no time to speculate. We need to send word back to the Nemo first, then go."  
"I'll do it," Mina offered, quickly taking the seat next to Allan. Within seconds, the message had been sent to the Nautilus and the four League members were running down the streets of London.  
"Reminds of the time when I sent the Morse to you guys," Skinner remembered.  
"Hello my freaky darlings," Tom filled in. They laughed as Allan cocked the Winchester and Mina shook her head.  
"Men," she muttered. Allan could only offer a shrug as they rounded a corner and stopped.  
"Bloody hell," Skinner whispered. The tanks - including the one that prompted Dorian to contact the League - were lined up in front of Buckingham Palace, guns aimed, ready to fire. Next to the tanks, lined in neat rows, were hundreds of iron-clad marksmen and flame-bearers. They were standing in between the fifty-odd tanks, holding their weaponry at ready.  
"Oh god," Mina gaped. "We're outnumbered." Allan nodded grimly, and then turned to face his friends. He didn't say anything, but looked at Tom instead.  
"Your lead, boy," he said simply. Skinner pulled off his trenchcoat and wiped the greasepaint off. Tom looked into his mentor's gray eyes; eyes that have seen some things that men were never meant to see. Eyes that have seen love, destruction, adventure, and, ultimately, his own death, then rebirth. And in those eyes, Tom saw the confidence and conviction that inspired so many. He also saw the pride and joy in those eyes.  
Tom nodded, finally understanding what Allan had in store for him, even when they first met.  
"Okay," he hefted the Winchester. "We need a plan."  
"Which is why we look to you, o great one," Skinner said, sarcasm dripping heavily from his voice, somewhere to Tom's right.  
"Skinner -" Allan started. "Don't make me use this before I have to." He gestured at his own Winchester. Skinner held up his hands in a 'don't- shoot-me' gesture, although he couldn't see it.  
Tom had been looking over the number of baddies, doing mental calculations and planning inside his head. "Mina," he said suddenly, pointing to the largest tank. "That seems to be the command post." True, there were several men standing on the top of the tank, which seemed to have its top evened out, as if to form flat ground for a table. There WAS a table there, where three or four of the men were hunched over.  
"Indeed," she agreed, turning to look. Since they were hidden in the shadows, the baddies couldn't see them until it was too late.  
"I need you to take them out," Tom told her. "Can you do it? Take them hostage or something like that. Not kill them."  
She nodded. "Good. Skinner!" Tom barked.  
"You called?" Skinner came.  
Tom nodded, slipping into authority mode. "You need to take out those ground forces, the ones with the armor and flame bearers."  
"And how may I do that without getting myself killed before getting rid of the first hundred, may I ask?"  
"Easy," Mina interjected. She removed a box of matches from somewhere inside her dress. "Molotov cocktail." She pointed to the many bottles that lay, empty, on the street, then at the barrels of kerosene hidden in the gloom.  
"What?" Allan asked, unfamiliar with the term.  
"Molotov cocktail," Mina repeated. "Skinner just needs to fill those bottles with the kerosene and stuff some rags into the bottle mouths, then light the rags up with these matches." She shook the matchbox for emphasis. "We can easily get the rags from around here. We can take care of those armored people because of the ignition the cocktails will no doubt cause and also because the heat inside the armor will be unbearable."  
"You forget, Mina," Allan reminded her. "That it just rained, and all the rags will be wet?"  
"Oh. Skinner, are you willing to give up the coat?"  
"My coat?!" Skinner objected, clutching it to his chest. "No!"  
"Skinner," Tom said sternly.  
"Here." Skinner handed Mina the coat, then flinched as she ripped it to strips of cloth that would fit in the bottle necks. "That cost me ?4 (#1), you know!"  
"Whatever." She handed him the shreds. "Go find the bottles, then fill them with kerosene. Here are the matches." She gave him the matchbox.  
"Me and Allan will be snipers," Tom verbalized. "We'll be up there on the buildings." He glanced at the rooftops of the nearby structures. "Skinner, you'll start lighting the cocktails when me and Allan start shooting."  
"Understood. You want me to get the flamers or the gunners, first? Truthfully, there's no difference to me."  
"Flamers first," Tom ordered. "It'll set the fire off, act as a distraction."  
"'kay," Skinner said. Then the bundle of rags that he held was off, bouncing off to look for bottles.  
By now, when Tom and Allan turned around, they saw the constables and policemen gathering around the palace gates, ready to defend the Queen.  
"I'll give the signal for you to move, Mina," Tom informed her. She gazed into his blue eyes and was off, hiding in the shadows.  
"Allan," Tom looked at him. "You take the left" - he pointed - "And I take the right. We'll shoot down as many as we can before Nemo gets here."  
"Remember, boy," Allan added. "If you can't do it with one bullet -"  
"-don't do it at all," Tom filled in, quoting Allan from their original adventure. Allan nodded his approval.  
"I take it that your shooting skills have improved?" he asked, hefting the Winchester.  
"Why don't you see for yourself?" Tom challenged.  
Together, they ran up to the roofs.  
  
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NAUTILUS ATLANTIC OCEAN, NEAR LONDON  
  
Nemo stood on the bridge of the mighty Nautilus, Jekyll next to him, watching the water rush past them. The message from Mina came in, and Nemo read it out loud to the doctor: "Maddox is already attacking. Get here as fast as possible. Am already moving to stop attack in strike. Waiting for backup. Harker."  
"Maddox is ahead of schedule," the doctor said thoughtfully. "Which means that they are already moving to stop him."  
"It also means we have to help them," Nemo said to him. "Increase speed to full!" He ordered. Although they were already traveling as fast as he deemed safe, Nemo decided that it was time for drastic measures, even if it meant risking detection.  
"Aye, sir!" Someone confirmed. Nemo nodded. He was proud of how his crew reacted under intense pressure: beautifully. After a few voyages with Captain Nemo, death and stress became known on a first-name basis. Under the ocean, you were never sure what could go wrong next.  
"We may need Hyde," Nemo told his friend, who sighed and examined the floor as if something interesting were printed on it.  
"I don't want to, but if need be..." Jekyll trailed off.  
*...Then what good are you?* Dorian Gray's voice came back to haunt the doctor. Almost every night since this adventure began, the scene kept replaying in Jekyll's mind:  
  
'Come on, Jekyll, we need Hyde!' Allan had shouted, jumping onto the automobile.  
'No!' Jekyll had answered. 'He won't use me again. Not anymore.'  
'Then what good are you?' Dorian had smirked, as they sped off to save Venice.  
  
*What good am I?* he asked himself, shaking his head. Hyde had been silenced a long time ago, and Jekyll saw that as a milestone. He banished the thought quickly. *I'm a doctor. Doctors heal. That's helping people. That's doing good.*  
"Doctor?" Nemo asked. "Are you alright?"  
"Me?" Jekyll shook his head. "Oh, its nothing. Just excited about this."  
Nemo just raised a dark brow.  
  
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LONDON, ENGLAND DEEP IN THE CITY STREETS OUTSIDE THE PALACE  
  
Dorian ran down the street, nearly slipping on the wet ground when he saw his nightmare come true: the attack had started. Well, not really, but the baddies were gearing up to attack. Which was equally bad to starting the attack.  
His long, ebony hair was damp, and it fell into his eyes, which was why he thought he was seeing things when he spotted a rag being stuffed into a filled bottle. The bottle, rag, and other similar things were hanging in mid air. Dorian immediately knew who it was after making sure he wasn't hallucinating, and he quickly ducked into a corner.  
*I mustn't been seen; knowing Skinner, he'll make a loud fuss about it and then they'll know that there are people here.* he thought, pressing himself as deep into the shadow as possible. *If Skinner is here, then that means the League is here too. Mina...* A voice of longing suddenly called up, stirred from some dark depth within him. He pushed it away; he had to concentrate at the issues at hand. Mina could wait; at least, for a while.  
Somewhere inside, a small spark of hope was lighted. If the League was in London, then there was hope yet... hope for the denizens of London, hope for the colonies, more importantly; hope for his redemption.  
Dorian glanced around, looking for the rest of them. Allan and Tom were on the opposite rooftops, aiming their guns, almost invisible to the immortal; Skinner was filling bottles for what Dorian assumed where Molotov cocktails; where was Mina? He searched around a bit, but couldn't find her. Perhaps she wasn't there. He couldn't find Nemo or Jekyll. Either they were hiding so good that they were as invisible as a naked Skinner or they weren't there. He opted for the hiding part.  
The glimmer of hope grew into a small flame, lighting up his rotten soul. Although he cared about the people under the British Empire, he cared more about the redemption of self.  
*Dorian Gray, immortal. Who is right now trying to save London. What a joke!*  
  
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NAUTILUS ATLANTIC OCEAN, CLOSE TO LONDON  
  
Nemo had given the order to get ready the men who would join him and Jekyll on the land attack against Maddox and baddies. Jekyll fingered the elixir vial in his pocket. He was nervous about letting Hyde out again. He ran a finger along the cool surface of the glass, wondering whether Edward would conduct conversations Jekyll had no choice but to listen or participate in, whether the beast would take over him. He didn't want it (who would?) but he knew it was for the greater good that his inner demon would be unleashed. His only concern - well, the main one, anyway - was that Hyde would get out of hand and kill Nemo and the League, along with the baddies. He didn't wish that fate on his friends, those who had accepted him in their own way.  
He thought deep about each of the members of the League, had found what he thought made them unique - and it wasn't only their...singular abilities.  
Nemo brought technology and weaponry to the League, along with one who could be counted on because of the fealty his men had sworn to him. Nemo was also one of the men who could relate to Jekyll...Nemo lived almost totally isolated from the rest of the world on land and most of those on sea, just as Jekyll did in his own way,  
Tom was the one who was the League's young blood, having grown up and matured during the time he spent with the League. His thirst for adventure and young ambition was a constant source of inspiration for Jekyll, amusement for Mina and teasing material for Skinner. Skinner was the typical Cockney thug who lusted after women he had no chance of getting hitched to. Take, for example, his delight in testing Mina's nerves and patience, as evidenced in his brand new hobby: trying to get into her room. If not, then he and his precious sherry could be seen floating around the ship. Actually, you could only see the sherry most of the time. Skinner was limited by avarice and cowardice, but he had proven his mantle more than once. Skinner, like him, was a social outcast, but compensated by being ridiculously noisy and cheeky. He had even forced Jekyll, en route to Africa and Allan's funeral, to confess that he loved Mina.  
Mina was the feminine factor of the League, and quite frankly, kept Skinner in line most of the time. Thanks to his efforts to try and get into her room, she had padlocked her door from the inside. She brought to the League the chemistry of love and science. Jekyll had once been in love with her, during their first adventure together. Now, it was mutual respect for her abilities.  
Allan: the last of the Great White Hunters, someone who provided them with leadership and insight, strategy and a impeccable aim, and also the worst case of far-sightedness who ever lived. He was the old blood of those in the League, the one who had stopped seeing life as an adventure, until the League was formed.  
And lastly, himself.  
What did he give the League? Brute force, he knew as much. And that wasn't even him. Did he give science? Maybe, but they had Mina for that. Perhaps it was comic relief. No, that was Skinner. He knew it definitely wasn't bravery or even something close. He served no apparent usage expect for Hyde, and that was something he was not proud of.  
Jekyll sighed and Nemo looked at him. Again, Jekyll fingered the vial inside his pocket, hidden away from Nemo. Traced a finger along the cool surface, felt the resolution to help those who could not help themselves strengthen.  
Perhaps Hyde would lose control, kill everyone.  
Perhaps not. Perhaps he would actually stop and think and do the right thing, Jekyll didn't know. He hoped it was the latter, though.  
  
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#1: four pounds, in case you can't see it.  
  
There! The problem of Jekyll/Mina is fixed! I'm really glad someone  
noticed it, because I didn't, not at first. I'm really sorry that this  
chapter took such a long time...my modem went crazy and I was away at  
camp. Just to let you know, chapter 7 and the rest might not be up for  
a long time. My exams are coming and I need to study (duh!). I'll try  
and squeeze some time to write and post the chapters, but no  
guarantees.  
  
Does anyone know how to do italics? I want to do italics to emphasize  
some points in the story, and also to enhance your reading pleasure.  
If you know how to do italics, please email me! 


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Warning!!! This chapter contains major violence (You can count blowing up people major violence, right?). I'm a wuss, and I'm telling other wusses out there; if you're a wuss, read this anyway!  
  
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CHAPTER 7  
  
LONDON, ENGLAND DEEP IN THE CITY STREETS OUTSIDE THE PALACE  
  
The cane-sword hung by his side, digging into Dorian's thigh as he pressed himself against the wall, trying to keep out of sight from Skinner. If Skinner saw him, the consequences might be deadly - for both him and London.  
  
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LONDON, ENGLAND  
  
DEEP IN THE CITY STREETS OUTSIDE THE PALACE  
  
Mina shimmied along the walls of the nearby buildings, keeping a lookout and waiting for Allan and Tom to do their work. Glancing to her left, she saw Skinner stuffing bottles of kerosene with rags.  
Shifting her view, she suddenly saw something that nearly left her a splat on the streets below.  
*Him.*  
So much said in so little words.  
Dorian Gray was hidden in one of the shadowy recesses of the doorway of one of the houses, peeking out, checking the line of sight. She stopped her shimmying and watched in a mix of fascination, love and hate as he quietly moved out of his doorway and into another one across the wet street.  
*Him.* shaking her head, she snapped back to reality. *What is he doing here? He died! I killed him* she added sadly.  
She didn't have time to lament further, as Allan and Tom opened fire on the unsuspecting baddies. Leaping into action, she delivered her fatal kiss with a growl and menace.  
  
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LONDON, ENGLAND  
  
DEEP IN THE CITY ROOFTOPS NEAR THE PALACE  
  
At Tom's signal, Allan started firing. The rifle was solid and comforting in his hands; it reminded him of old times with Matilda. Aiming carefully, he concentrated on his targets, ducking accordingly as some of them fired blindly. Even though the baddies couldn't see them, a stray bullet could be deadly. He noticed bullets - not his own, but Tom's - were hitting the baddies and either injuring or killing them with lethal efficiency.  
Again, he felt a surge of fatherly pride for the boy. *So, he HAD learned how to shoot properly.*  
  
"If you can't do it with one bullet, don't do it at all," he had said as they were chasing Hyde through the streets of Paris.  
  
Despite himself, Allan smiled. Obviously, Tom had taken those words to heart. The last time he had shot at - what was it? - 900 yards was in Mongolia...when he died. The smile faded from his handsome, weathered face. Instead, unlike his usual self, Allan decided to vent his anger on the baddies. Adjusting his position, Allan fired without mercy.  
  
Tom fired almost non-stop, sliding the Winchester along the roof edge and taking down as many as he could. Below, he saw Mina and a flurry of bats as they attacked the confused troops; heading towards the so-called base. There was an explosion that rocked the foundations of the building as Skinner threw a Molotov into the flame bearer's ranks. Even though they tried to get out of the way, there wasn't a chance for the kerosene- wielding men. Those on the tank with the table spun around, and began ordering the troops; Tom, even though he was some three hundred yards away, could hear their shouts, albeit softly.  
The Winchester clicked empty. Ducking, leaning against the rooftop barrier, Tom reloaded the rifle as fast as he could, then started firing again. There were more explosions as Skinner threw more Cocktails. The whole area rocked as the guards who protected the Palace stared in fascination and awe.  
*Oh, god.* Tom taught. *Guess they weren't trained to handle this kinda situation.* What was worse, he was running out of bullets. As if one cue, a group of about a dozen bats - Mina's - flew by, dropping a couple of magazines in front of him and Allan. Tom started while the other man didn't miss a beat. *Wow. She's GOOD.*  
  
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NAUTILUS LONDON, ENGLAND EDGE OF THE THAMES  
  
The men who would join them in the land assault filed out of the Nautilus in neat rows. Jekyll, once again, fidgeted next to Nemo, who pretended not to notice. Already, they could hear explosions and a very very loud commotion in the city, where Buckingham Palace was; the others had started to thwart Maddox's plan to seize power.  
As the last of the men came out, Nemo turned to friend. He opened his mouth to say something, but Jekyll held up a hand to stop him. "I know. It's time."  
Nemo nodded, sympathizing, then stood back as Jekyll produced the vial and downed it. After the painful transformation - more so because Jekyll hadn't taken the elixir in a long time - Hyde stood where Jekyll had, flexing his muscles.  
"Shall we?" the beast asked Nemo in his deep, menacing voice. At Nemo's order, the other men and the two League members set off in a paced run to the Palace to provide assistance to Tom and the rest.  
  
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LONDON, ENGLAND DEEP IN THE CITY  
  
STREETS OUTSIDE THE PALACE  
  
DORIAN  
  
Dorian watched on as the guards of the Queen's residence gaped in awe at the flame bearers. *Idiots. They should be doing their duty, protecting the Queen.* Then he stopped his line of thinking. *Then again, they haven't seen this kind of thing before.*  
He saw the flurry of bats as they came down on the troops, heard the sounds of gunfire and the screams of the baddies. Skinner and the bottles were running around, which would have made for a hilarious scene if not for the circumstances.  
*Those security men should be spurred into action, not just standing there looking like children.*  
He drew his sword, savoring the sound of steel sliding against the fine mahogany. Even as it came out of the cane, Nemo, Hyde and their men came around the corner. Dorian stopped for a moment. He hadn't expected to see his old friends again...if they could be counted as friends.  
Nemo gave his orders and the crewmen ran forward into the battle. Dorian did so too, shouting at the English guards, sounding his war cry.  
"Come on! Protect your Queen!"  
That seemed to snap them out of their shock. Picking up their weapons, they charged forward, Dorian joining them, slashing and stabbing with terrifying ferocity. It felt good to be in practice once again; the last time he fought was when he tried to kill Mina.  
*Mina, my true love.* And now, they were fighting on the same side, towards the same goal: to save London, though they had different reasons.  
After Mina had showed him that damnable portrait of his, after he "died", and after M's weapons factory was blown up, his body had pieced itself back together.  
It had been so painful; Dorian couldn't remember when he had ever felt so much agony before. He never wanted to go through that again. He had had so much time to think, to reflect on his past mistakes, finally realizing how many he had made.  
The worst of them was trying to kill Mina.  
The voice of longing within him called out for her. He missed her so...that was part of his reason for giving false information to Maddox. Through his good deed, he hoped that Mina would forgive him and maybe even love him again. He wasn't too hopeful for the latter, though; he would be content if she forgave him.  
Gutting one of the baddies are cutting his chest armor off, Dorian made his way to the evened-out tank, the one that had passed by him earlier that night. It was there that the commanders of the various units had been discussing their plans.  
Dorian felt dozens of bullets pierce his back, then turned with a slightly irritated look at the young marksmen who had fired on him.  
"What...what are you?" the marksmen, no more than twenty-two years old, stammered and moved back as Dorian advanced; no doubt he looked like a mass murderer, with blood dripping off his blade and the clear intent of malice in his eyes against the backdrop of fire and destruction.  
"I'm...complicated," Dorian said, smiling at the memory of the line nearly three years ago. He didn't move anymore, but the kid suddenly fell down, out cold. Dorian blinked. Of all the things he had thought the marksmen would do, he hadn't expected that.  
  
NEMO  
  
Nemo fought brutally, whirling and spinning, dishing out kicks and punches like a school lunch lady gone wacky. He felt the very satisfying crunch of bone underneath his knuckle as he broke somebody's nose.  
His path of destruction seemed random, but in truth, he was heading towards the aforementioned funny-looking tank, as the rest of the League on the ground were doing. Their priority was to get Maddox alive.  
The ground shook as more explosions went off, and Nemo saw Skinner run past him, in the direction of Maddox and commanders. He also heard Skinner's colorful vocabulary as the captain saw Maddox make a run for cover, headed for the nearby museum - the one, Nemo realized with a start, that M had first met and formed the League. The irony was not lost on him.  
"Skinner, go after him; I'll join you later!" Nemo yelled at the invisible thief, who gave a shouted affirmation as he threw the last of the cocktails and ran after Maddox.  
  
SKINNER  
  
Skinner swore as one of the gunmen nearly nicked his side with the butt of an automatic gun. Nemo was barely three feet away, having just broken someone's nose.  
The thief cursed using the language he had picked up in the slums of London, long before the formation of the League. Maddox was making a run for it, headed toward a big, old-looking building that looked oddly familiar.  
"Skinner, go after him; I'll join you later!" Nemo shouted over the noise.  
"Aye!" Skinner used all his strength to throw the last of the Molotovs into the carnage and sprinted after the mastermind who had utilized M's original doomsday plans. He tripped over the dead bodies of some of the poor guards who had been cut down by the modern weapons. He felt sorry for them and their families, but he didn't have time to think any further than that because a person who was meant to be dead joined him, keeping pace, whether knowingly or not, Skinner didn't know.  
*DORIAN GRAY!* his mind screamed at him. *Good lord, all that sherry must be getting to my head.* He shook his head and only succeeded in nearly falling over a baton discarded by a constable.  
Skinner decided to keep quiet and hope that the traitor didn't know that he was there; in reality, Dorian did know, but didn't say anything.  
  
ALLAN  
  
The great adventurer focused his aim on Maddox as the man ran perpendicular to the building he was on. His sight followed the baddie and Allan pulled the trigger; unfortunately, the bullet only ricocheted off the street, nicking the edge of Maddox's coat that trailed behind him as he ran.  
Allan glanced up from his scope slightly in disbelief when he saw Dorian follow behind Maddox. Tom had told him that Mina had killed Dorian in the factory 3 years ago, using the portrait - the one he had noticed missing from the wall in Dorian's home.  
*Well* Allan thought with a small shrug, settling down in his place once again. *If I can come back from the dead, who's to say he can't?*  
  
TOM  
  
"Now this is getting weird," Tom muttered to himself as he saw Dorian at about the same time as Allan. "Whoa. That guy should be dead." He then saw a stone being lifted from the ground by Skinner's invisible hand and it was thrown, making Maddox trip and stumble but he didn't fall.  
So, Skinner was probably running next to Dorian.  
Tom tried to hit Maddox but an explosion that caused the windows below to shatter threw his aim out of whack and he hit another baddie instead.  
"Damn!"  
Tom reloaded the Winchester and then sighted again, opting to pick out others instead of Maddox; he certainly hoped that Skinner could take care of himself.  
  
MINA  
  
The vampiress flew just above the bloodbath, taking dark joy out of the scene of wounded troops staggering out of the line of fire, many of their number having died from the sheer heat from the fires that raged below and explosions fuelled by their tanks of kerosene as the gunmen were taken down by both Nemo's men and the Palace guards. Their numbers had fallen dramatically; obviously, they had not expected a pre-emptive strike. Police constables had joined the fight, using their pathetic batons to knock those who didn't wear armor. She delivered her crimson kiss to those baddies who were still able-bodied; their screams of terror and pain gave her a kind of delight she knew could be deadly should she become addicted to it.  
Blood dipped from her luscious lips as she killed a few more men, and she licked her upper lip as one of her unfortunate victims' body fell to the ground with a dull thud. She saw Maddox heading towards a nearby building, and had started after him when Skinner shouted, "Don't! Take care of the rest! I'll deal with him!"  
Dorian was there, she saw, but that didn't really matter to her as she went on her feeding frenzy with her flurry of bats.  
  
HYDE  
  
With a mighty roar, Hyde lifted one end of one of the tanks and pushed it over, letting it drop to one side with a deafening clang. Its occupants scurried out of the vehicle in terror.  
He dispatched many of the baddies in ways that were unprintable (so as to keep this as PG as possible). He was enjoying this, finally coming out after almost two and a half years. Jekyll had kept him quiet through his strong will; as much as Hyde hated to admit it, Jekyll was a man with one hell of a willpower.  
The huge beast stopped in his tracks and ripped out the armored hull of the tank, crushing it and flinging it somewhere to his left, making the people there who saw it duck for their lives.  
"Tell the gods that Hyde sent you!" he bellowed, drinking in all the pain, terror and fear that he could smell.  
  
MADDOX  
  
*Stupid League!* Maddox swore inwardly as he ran for his life, hoping that the League members wouldn't notice him leaving in all the hell that had broken loose. *They're supposed to be dead! How could they have survived Oslo?! I'll skin that lieutenant of mine!*  
That is, if he got out of this place alive.  
Glancing over his shoulder as he breathed heavily, he saw a young, handsome dark-haired man whom he couldn't recognize chasing him, holding a long thin sword that was wickedly sharp, dripping with crimson blood.  
*Who is he? The League has only five members! Or is he from some other organization?* The thought chilled him to the bone; it meant that his plan had worst information leaks than he had thought possible.  
He headed towards the (#1) Albion Museum, where his predecessor had set his plan into action. Within the old museum, Maddox had set up a secondary command post after killing almost all the guards stationed there the night before.  
The back of his thick coat, custom-made for the cold nights of London, was shot off as one of the damned snipers - either Quatermain or Sawyer, Maddox knew - tried to take a potshot at him.  
Maddox swore audibly this time. A stone whizzed past his head and he jerked his head to the left, alarmed. The steps of the museum were so near, less than 200 yards away. Maddox smiled. He could make it! His plans could still go on! Although they were stalled somewhat, they could still work.  
*I am a brilliant genius.* Maddox preened. He ran up the steps and threw open the doors to the sprawling building, not bothering to close them as he ran inside.  
  
SKINNER  
  
The thief was panting hard, not bothering to hide his presence from Dorian.  
"Since when have the bad guys run so fast?" he asked no one in particular. Maddox had made it to the stairs and had disappeared inside the building. Skinner was running as fast as his tried legs could carry him. Just as he neared the steps, he bumped into Maddox's lieutenant, who was wielding a long blade that could inflict a lot of damage.  
"I won't let you get to Maddox!" the man stated. Skinner tried to run past him, but somehow, the man knew where the invisible man was and slashed him, making Skinner have to suck his tummy in.  
"Oi!" Skinner said. He dodged left and right, but to no avail. The baddie knew where he was going and came dangerously near to seriously hurting him.  
"Skinner, go," Dorian ordered. "I'll take care of this midget."  
"Right. How can I trust you, may I ask?" Skinner replied.  
"If I had wanted to kill you, I would have done so earlier. And now is hardly the time for arguments." Dorian fended off a vicious stab from the baddie who, again, blocked Skinner's way as he tried to get into the museum.  
"We don't have time for this!" Skinner was exasperated. Nobody knew which direction he was going, unless you counted Mina. Besides, she was a vampire and had much more sensitive senses than the average human. Dorian didn't answer him and Skinner joined in the duel.  
  
NEMO  
  
Nemo saw Dorian dueling with a man at the entrance to the museum. Skinner was there as well, because Nemo could see a piece of scrap metal from one of the discarded fuel tanks of the flame bearers floating in midair, as if defending something, most likely Skinner's body. All three men were weaving from left to right as Skinner tried to get past the baddie.  
Breaking someone's neck, Nemo dashed towards them and, using a well- placed and blindingly fast move, Nemo dispatched the man. He turned to face Dorian.  
"You live," he said simply. Dorian touched a long gash that the baddie had given him as it healed, looking at the blood on his finger.  
"Yes. And I'm working on your side, for once," Dorian answered. Nemo gave the familiar face a once-over, seeing that the strong features, ebony hair and eyes were still the same; even the slightly bored and "I'm-better- than-you-and-I-know-it" expression was still there.  
"Nemo, Maddox," Skinner reminded him. "We can kill him later."  
"Indeed," Nemo answered before running up the steps and entering the dark building.  
  
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(#1) the museum is mentioned in the novelization of the movie; I'm using it for the sake of giving the museum a name.  
  
A/N: hah! Chapter 7's finished! And so are my exams! *does the crazy victory dance* Everybody, thank you for being patient, and I hope I don't disappoint your high standards with this...expect the upcoming chapters every few days, depending on how fast I can write. Chow! 


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: In response to a random query, no, I'm not Italian. (What makes you think so?) HUZZAW! Thank you all for the reviews, I'm dying cos I want more! (Jus to let you know, I walked into a wall after sticking my nose in the air when I read those wonderful reviews. My nose is broken.)  
  
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CHAPTER 8  
  
LONDON, ENGLAND  
  
DEEP IN THE CITY  
  
STREETS OUTSIDE THE PALACE  
  
Mina gave the area an once-over and then settled down on both feet on the ground, watching her step and trying to not to slip on the ground, soaked with blood. Her eyes were back to their usual green, and her elegant lips were now ruby-red, as if she just ate a lemon. The taste of the inside of her mouth would be enough to make others retch. The rhythmic click-click of her boots against the ground were muffled, replaced by splash-splash.  
She met Allan at the foot of the Museum and were joined shortly by Tom.  
"They went inside," she said simply. "They were following Maddox."  
"Tell me if I'm wrong," Tom said, as he hefted the Winchester. "But was it just me or did I see Gray run past us just now?"  
Mina sighed inwardly. "Yes."  
"Well, boy, I'm dead and standing in front of you. I'm a mortal, too," Allan reminded him. "Gray's a bloody immortal." Tom did that thing with his head that looked like a half -nod.  
"We can leave Nemo's men to finish Maddox's troops," Tom stated. "Besides, there aren't that many left."  
"Well, you sure took your own bloody time!" a voice exclaimed next to Mina, who gave a little scream of surprise and jumped. She nearly fell but Allan caught her arm.  
Skinner had come up next to Mina and had been listening in.  
"Get a grip, man," Allan scolded then decided not to continue, because Nemo came out of the Museum with Maddox in hand.  
"Well, now, there's our man!" Skinner called, full of enthusiasm.  
"Nemo, where'd you get him?" Tom asked as he blinked. Maddox had a suit of armor's head piece stuck to his head.  
"He was hiding in one of the suits of armors," Dorian replied, following behind Nemo and the struggling Maddox.  
"And I kicked it," Skinner said proudly. "Gave one loud whoop, if you ask me. It's a wonder I'm not deaf!"  
"You kicked his shin, Skinner," Nemo stated, matter-of-factly. Mina gave him an incredulous look.  
"You kicked him?" Allan asked. "Of all things you could have done, Skinner, you had to kick him."  
Skinner just chuckled. "Well, it got us our man; what's your complaint?"  
"An effective, if...unconventional...way of doing things," Mina smiled. Skinner beamed even more because it came from her.  
"And that begs the question," Nemo said, glancing at Dorian. "About you."  
"Obviously, you haven't gotten over Ishmael," Dorian said dryly. Nemo's dark eyes narrowed in anger. Ishmael had been a good friend and crewmate; he had never really forgiven Dorian for his death. The immortal merely sheathed his cane-sword as smiled at Mina. "Miss me?"  
"Hardly. What are you doing here?" she shot the question on everyone's lips.  
"That's Dorian Gray?!" Maddox yelled through the mask. Skinner whacked the top of it and laughed when he heard the resounding echo.  
"See? Even Maddy here knows you," Skinner joked, using a nickname for Maddox. Nemo raised a brow.  
"I've been passing along fake information to Maddox all this while," he continued, not meaning to brag, just stating the facts. "It was I who informed the Americans about Maddox's plan in the first place." He looked at Tom, who was biting his lower lip and trying not to say anything that would prompt Dorian to slice open his jugular. He wasn't immortal.  
"Where's Hyde?" Skinner asked suddenly, turning around. "More like, where's Jekyll? The potion would've burned out by now."  
"Here," a voice responded weakly behind them. Allan, Tom and Mina turned while Dorian leaned forward for a close look as Skinner rushed to his friend's side.  
"Oh god, Jekyll, what did you do to yourself?" Skinner asked, holding up the man, who was too weak to stand on his own. Mina ran over to help support his other arm.  
"It seems," the doctor managed, "that Edward over-exerted himself this time."  
"You need medical attention," Mina said, looking at Nemo, who held Maddox by the collar. "And we need to get his head out of there. Assuming, that is, if you want to do so."  
Nemo nodded his agreement as Tom said, "Oh-oh. Heads up." He was looking to his left, towards the Palace. All their gazes turned and Skinner swore softly. A group of constables and baronet-wielding army men were running towards them.  
"Oh, no," Allan muttered. "Bureaucrats."  
"No, more like 'Oh, no, police.'" Tom pointed.  
"Here we go," Mina muttered as one of those in the lead shouted a "Stop there! In the name of the Queen, you're under arrest. All of you".  
"Want me to join you?" Skinner asked Allan. "I could always sneak away and enjoy my sherry, you know."  
"Don't even try it," Tom threatened. Skinner didn't say anything as Tom tossed him his vest and the thief put it on, grudgingly.  
  
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LONDON, ENGLAND DEEP IN THE CITY MEETING ROOM, POLICE STATION  
  
"Well, now, this is new," Skinner commented as he walked around the big meeting room that all of them (with the exception of Maddox and Jekyll, who was getting medical attention) had been placed in. "I didn't know that jail cells were like this. Last time I was here they were cells."  
"You were kept in a holding cell before?" Dorian asked, not really wanting an answer. He was seated next to Mina on one side of the long meeting table made of gleaming marble.  
"Yep. Those were in the early days of my profession...lets just say I wasn't as good as I am now," he replied.  
"And you weren't invisible," Tom added as Skinner nodded. Skinner had returned the vest to Tom, but not before searching for any drinks; to his dismay, he found none. Allan was studying the room with the expertise of the hunter he was, taking in every little detail.  
"This is obviously not the usual fare for prisoners," Mina said. "It seems that we are being given special attention."  
"Most likely because of your fair face," Dorian said, and ignored Tom and Skinner's glares that said if he tried to make a move on her, they would kill him even though he couldn't die.  
"You know, I've been asking myself," Tom said to Dorian. The young American sat opposite the two ex-lovers, keeping an eye on the man he knew as a traitor. "How you came back."  
"It seems," Dorian explained, "That as long as my portrait isn't destroyed, I can still live even after my body dies. It pieced itself back together in the factory." As he said that, he regarded Mina, trying to see what she was feeling. She purposely kept her game face on. *Just like old times,* he thought. *Just like old times.*  
"And you've become so noble as to help the League stop Maddox?" asked Nemo, who stood near the end of the table. Dorian visibly flinched and looked uncomfortable.  
"I have my reasons," he finally answered. Mina kept quiet, not willing to explain about how the picture was related to the whole situation. The door at the end of the room opened to admit three men, one of them who had a massive build and a corpulent face that had sharp features, hawk-like and keen, closely linking him to his late brother, the great detective Sherlock Holmes.  
"Hello, gentlemen, Mrs. Harker," Mycroft Holmes greeted. He sat down at the foot of the table, and Skinner stayed in his corner, watching as the other two stood at either elbow of their boss. "This is Detective Barnes (#1) from Scotland Yard and Inspector Dominicus Pike (#2), of Special Branch. My name is -"  
"- Mycroft Holmes, brother of the great detective," Mina finished for him. "I take it you are from Special Branch, as well?"  
"Indeed, Mrs. Harker," Mycroft inclined his head slightly. "I apologise for all your arrests; Scotland Yard and beyond are in an uproar about the...situation outside the Palace. They arrested everybody within the area."  
Seemed that you guys cleared us out pretty fast," Tom observed.  
"Yes. Well, the League members are easily recognizable," Mycroft said. "After Moriaty's death, the file and all information on you came to us at the Special Branch. I have been studying your profiles and when I learned about your...shall we say, involvement... I immediately sent word to Detective Barnes to release you."  
Barnes gave an indignant humph, clearly not happy.  
"Well, I say," Skinner spoke up, "All the better!" The thief sauntered up to the table and pulled out one of the chairs sat down, as evident in the slight depression on the cushion. Barnes and Pike both jumped and looked around wildly, as if they could see the speaker. Barnes stared as Skinner pulled out the chair. "I'd say these newbies weren't really briefed on us, were they?"  
"There was limited time." Mycroft fidgeted. "I do have a few questions...First of all, what are Mr. Gray and Mr. Quatermain doing here?"  
"I came back from the dead, and so did Gray," Allan explained. "For me, it was via witchdoctor and for him, his picture."  
Mycroft was speechless for a moment, but then caught himself. "And, of course, I do want to know why you decided to bomb the outside of the Palace."  
"Palace security is all in a fluster about that," Barnes added, speaking up. "They aren't happy about what you did."  
"We did what we needed to do," Nemo shot back, glaring. "As the League." It was added pointedly, as if Nemo was trying to emphasis the point that he hated the Empire.  
"I'm curious as to how you knew what Maddox's plans were," Pike said. It was quickly becoming apparent that he was the more patient of the two.  
All of the League members looked at Allan, who sighed and said, "When I came back, my first instinct was to hide. Since Allan Quatermain was dead, I didn't want to argue with history. I got out of Africa and was in London when certain...contacts of mine informed me that Felix Maddox had gotten some modern weaponry that sounded very much like M's. I decided to check it out and I uncovered his plot. He had been using a factory outside London as base for most of the time I worked. I listened to his communications and found out that he was going to meet James Seymour in Oslo, which turned out to be a ruse to kill the League. The Americans had found out around the same time as me, and had sent Tom here" - he glanced at Tom, and Mycroft noted the fatherly pride there - "to re-gather the League to stop Maddox. I met them in Oslo, and the rest is history. There's where Dorian came in."  
All eyes swerved to where Dorian sat.  
"When I finally worked my way back to civilization, I managed to get my hands on a signal apparatus and by accident tuned into Maddox giving orders to some of his men," Dorian lied. In truth, he had heard about the plot while he served on one of the filthy cargo ships that had helped him get back to London from Mongolia, using the better of the three years. Some of the sailors had been discussing their cargo and he had overheard, thinking that it sounded suspiciously like the things that M had used. "I also happened to hear Nemo over the signal, talking to Sawyer. I thought I could help the League stop Maddox."  
"Oh, the noble and honorable Dorian Gray," Skinner commented, sarcasm dripping form his voice heavily. "Did I forget to tell the nice policemen that he tried to kill us?"  
"Skinner," several League members said in unison, "Shut up."  
"Interesting set of circumstances," Pike said thoughtfully. "Very interesting; coincidental, even."  
"True," Nemo agreed. "What of Jekyll? Is he alright?"  
"The good doctor is being treated by one Dr. Watson. Rest assured he is in good hands," Mycroft replied. A silent sigh of relief seemed to come from the League members. "And I have a proposal for you."  
"Proposal?" Mina asked. "Of what sort?"  
"I think it would suit the Empire's best interests if the League stayed together," Mycroft said. "I think we can provide a sufficient retainer."  
"You want us to stay the League?" Tom asked. Mycroft nodded.  
"We can provide quarters and such," Pike said, thinking just like his superior. "Since all the original members are here, I think it be best."  
"For the Empire," Skinner said.  
"For the Empire," Mycroft echoed. "I beg you think it over. Give me your answer in two days."  
  
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NAUTILUS LONDON DOCKS  
  
Skinner watched as the sun replaced the moon among the stars, enjoying the cool morning and the cookies that Marie had baked. Jekyll's loving wife had rejoiced at his return from his adventure with the League, and thanked them by baking cookies for all. It was two days since Mycroft had brought forth his proposal. Skinner had no objections if it meant being close to Mina.  
Well, as close as he could get, anyway.  
He was jealous whenever he saw Dorian trying to win back Mina's heart. Allan and Tom were practicing their shooting during their free time; Mina did her experiments and helped with the injured while Dorian followed her around, trying to get to her to forgive him; Nemo was busy with all the matters that concerned his ship; Jekyll went back every night to his wife after helping Mina, and Skinner wandered around the ship, pestering all and getting on everybody's nerves.  
Skinner was still a bit uncomfortable about the ripping of his coat, and had gotten a new one, courtesy of an not-so-apologetic Mina. She even threw in a compact of greasepaint. He found himself thinking of taking the antidote to his invisibility.  
*I want Mina to see me.* He thought. *Being invisible...no one knows your there; gets lonely. But if I take it...then I wouldn't be much use to the League.* Skinner took out the clear bottle and studied it. It was unmarked, and he carried it with him everywhere. The antidote he had discovered in the burned-out remnants of the factory, made by one of the scientists before Nemo and Hyde had freed them. He had taken it with him after they'd left, had considered using it.  
He thought back to the old days, before he had stolen the original invisibility process and made himself what he was today. He remembered how he looked...when he could actually look into the mirror and see something; see a man, a full-bodied, visible man. He gripped the bottle.  
*To take, or not to take?* he asked himself, contemplating. *I want her to see me, yet...I want to help the League. And I used to look out for one only.* He chuckled to himself.  
"Ah, the things we do for love," he said to no one in particular; there was no one else up on the deck. He looked at the bottle, threw it up slightly into the air and catching it again. He did this several times. *Mina, I love you, but I'm a coward and can't admit it to you. And Allan said I was a hero.*  
*Heroes are brave, I guess...Am I brave? If I cannot be seen, then do I exist?*  
  
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(#1) Readers may know Mr. Barnes from the 1899 story "The Nameless Man" by Rodriguez Ottolengui; as usual, I'm just using the name so I don't need to wrack my brains for one.  
  
(#2) Same reason as the first one, and Dominicus Pike is the tobacco peddler 1834's "Mr. Higginbotham's Catastrophe" by Nathaniel Hawthorne. (I just got a new book on the 19th Century's best crime stories; can you blame me for being lazy?)  
  
A/N: Chapter 9 will be up soon, and I think I'll stop at 10. Keep it short and simple, know what I mean? Anyway, if you review this chapter, pls tell me if you wan t Skinner to take the antidote or not! Depending on the feedback I get, I'll write as how you want it. Thanks for all the reviews for the previous chapter, I hope I don't let you down on this one! 


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: Thank you all, for the reviews! You make my life worth living (well, that is, besides Skinner and Dorian, but that's another story). Okay, since most of the new reviews say "HELL NO!" to Skinner taking the antidote, I'm going to consider using a cocktail of all the suggestions I got. Well, I won't bore you with my long note, so enjoy the story!  
  
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CHAPTER 9  
  
LONDON, ENGLAND ALBION MUSEUM UNDERGROUND LIBRARY SPECIAL BRANCH MEETING PLACE  
  
Jekyll finished telling Skinner about Marie's reaction when he first told her about Hyde, just before they had gotten married. Skinner was laughing about it, and Tom, who had been listening in, was chuckling. Nemo raised a brow, the closest thing he could do to a laugh.  
Allan was inspecting the elephant gun that was mounted, proudly, on one side of the massive library. The room was the same as three years ago, when the League was first formed. Skinner assumed that all was the same, with the exception of the man they were supposed to meet.  
Dorian sat down next to where Mina had sat minutes ago, feeling as bored as ever, legs crossed and looking as at home as ever. Mina pointedly ignored him, keeping her back to him, and concentrated on the book tittles that she was reading.  
Allan was impressed. The gun was a perfect replica of Matilda; so perfect, in fact, that he even fancied that it WAS Matilda, reconstructed after it had fallen into separate pieces when Allan had used it to defend himself, in Mongolia.  
The doors opened and Mycroft and Pike walked in, causing Skinner to stop laughing and Nemo to resume his aloof expression.  
"Good morning, gentlemen, Mrs. Harker," Mycroft nodded as he sat down in the seat that was in the middle of the long table. Pike nodded his own greetings, silent and watching. Focused, in particular, at Skinner, who shifted uncomfortably.  
"I trust," Mycroft said, "That you have an answer as to my proposal."  
"Indeed," Allan said. Beforehand it was agreed that he would speak for all of them. "And our answer is: yes. On certain conditions."  
Mycroft raised a brow and Pike's expression changed.  
"And these conditions are...?" Pike asked, uncertain if he really wanted an answer.  
"One, that we be called in only the most dire of emergencies," Allan stated.  
"You are only called in the most dire of emergencies," Pike commented. Everybody ignored him.  
"Two, that you give unlimited amnesty to both Jekyll, Nemo and Skinner," Allan continued. "Three, you keep my existence as a living human being secret."  
"Very well," Mycroft's brow went down. "It will be done in due time."  
"Good," Tom said.  
  
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LONDON, ENGLAND DEEP IN THE CITY  
  
Skinner walked briskly down the chilly street in one of London's more questionable streets, headed towards a small alcove where he knew a certain friend of his lived. Reaching the door, he stood outside, contemplating whether to knock or not.  
The number on the door, battered by the weather, was falling off, hanging crooked. The door was painted a dirty white, and the paint was flaking off in places. There were scratch marks at the bottom, reminding Skinner of his friend's cat.  
Gathering up his courage, Skinner knocked and the expected answer came.  
"Go away!" a voice came from within. "I don't want to buy anything!"  
"It's me," Skinner called. "Rodney."  
Silence, then the sound of footsteps and the turning of a key in the lock. A head peeped out of the slightly opened door, eyes widening at the sight of Skinner.  
"Oh, god," the man, Skinner's old friend, said. "You. What do you want?"  
"I need help," Skinner said. "Please."  
The man regarded Skinner with suspicion, but finally let him into the cramped alcove that served as a house. Skinner entered, and immediately was struck by the feeling of oppression and the heat that came from the fireplace, too close to the books stacked haphazardly everywhere for his own liking.  
"What do you want?" the man asked, nervous.  
"Why, John," Skinner said, turning around to face John Seward (#1), ex-owner of the Carfax Asylum. "And I thought you'd say hello."  
John fidgeted. "What do you want? I thought you were happy when you stole the serum."  
John had once been the original Griffin's assistant, and had worked with him to developed the invisibility serum that Skinner stole and used. Both of them had been friends, but had lost touch when John went to work with Griffin. After Griffin's death, John lost it and became a bit like Jekyll, isolating himself from the world.  
"I was," Skinner said, sighing. "But I need you to help me do something."  
"What?" John asked, leading the way to his lab.  
"This." Skinner produced the antidote and waved the vial around. "I need you to help me see if this works." He handed the vial to John, who stared at the clear liquid.  
Skinner then felt something soft and furry side up his leg: John's invisible cat. A mew came from below and Skinner bent down and picked up the cat, scratching where he thought the back of its ear is.  
"Is this...?" John asked in awe, holding the antidote to the light.  
"Yes, but I have no idea whether it works. Will you help me, John? For old time's sake?"  
"Old times, Skinner? You stole the serum, took it for yourself!"  
"My bad," Skinner smiled. "Help me?"  
John scowled. "Yes. But only because it's an antidote."  
"Thank you."  
"Go. Leave. I'll send word to you when I have results."  
Skinner turned to leave, putting the cat down. "I'll be waiting, then."  
As they reached the door and Skinner was nearly out the door, John called. "And Skinner? Don't ever come here again."  
  
Dorian watched from the shadows as Skinner left the house of John. He had been out, walking about when he saw the invisible man heading into one of the streets of questionable nature and had followed out of curiosity. *I wonder* Dorian thought *what he's up to now.*  
He knew that Skinner would never do anything that would hurt Mina in any way, so that meant that he was no threat to the League - for now. Satisfied with his own answer, Dorian headed back towards the main streets where he intended to get Mina some jewelry, using the hard-earned money he had got while working on the cargo ships.  
  
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THREE DAYS LATER.........................  
  
NAUTILUS LONDON DOCKS  
  
Skinner set the vial of antidote down on the table in his cabin aboard the Nautilus. Most of the crew had been given shore leave by Nemo, and the place was almost deserted. He had received the vial from John less than an hour ago, with a simple message:  
  
It works. - John  
  
He was elated. The antidote really worked! He could take it. Take it and be visible again. To hell with helping the League; Mina would be able to see him. A triumphant smile came over his features. He uncorked the bottle, held it up.  
"Here goes," he said, downing the whole thing in one gulp as he threw his head back.  
Suddenly there was acid in his stomach. Skinner grabbed his belly and nearly went down, but he grabbed the edge of the table; the pain was excruciating. The acid began to spread, and his vision blurred; his head pounded, his body was being ripped apart by tiny hooks. Falling to the floor, Skinner gave a blood-curdling wail of pain as he writhed on the floor, screaming, wanting relief from the lava that was flooding his body, entangling himself in his coat.  
Suddenly, becoming invisible didn't seem such a good idea anymore.  
  
Tom had arranged to go back with Nemo in two days' time, and was staying on board the Nautilus until then. During his free time, he practiced shooting with Allan and also went exploring the streets of London - after all, the last time he had been in Great Britain, he was tailing the League members - Allan as his guide. Allan now went under the alias of Cyrus Dale.  
"I still think it sounds ridiculous," Tom told Allan as they walked down the corridors of the great submarine.  
"My new name is not ridiculous," Allan defended. "It sounds -"  
He was cut off by a horrible scream of pain from somewhere down a adjacent corridor. After barely sparing a glace at each other, the two ran down the corridor where the sounds of dull thumps could be heard, as if somebody were writhing on the floor.  
The sounds were loudest in one of the rooms that they ran past at first; they didn't realize that it was Skinner's cabin. Within seconds, Allan had thrown open the door and they watched in horror at the scene before them.  
Skinner was on the floor, thrashing about on the ground, screaming. He was phasing in and out of sight, becoming visible, then invisible again and again at irregular intervals. There was a shattered bottle on the floor; Tom had a horrible feeling it was a drug, something had reacted to it, and Skinner, a good if somewhat mad friend, was going to die.  
"Oh god," Allan managed, running to where Skinner thrashed about, not daring to touch him lest something happen. "Boy, get Mina or Jekyll! Go!"  
Tom nodded and ran out of the room, looking for the doctors.  
  
Mina was helping Jekyll pack up all the bandages and medicines that they had used to fix up the injured soldiers when Tom came running into the room, out of breath.  
"Skinner needs help," he said between breaths, using one hand on the doorframe to support himself. "Something's wrong with him."  
Both doctors dropped whatever they were holding and followed a running Tom to Skinner's cabin. Before they turned into the hallway they could already here Skinner screaming in agony.  
Allan was there, looking as worried as when he thought Tom had died in the saving of Venice.  
"What happened?!" Jekyll asked Allan as he and Mina hunkered down to hold Skinner down.  
"Don't know," Allan replied. "When we got here he was already like this."  
Mina ripped the new coat of Skinner's to prevent him from strangling himself. As Skinner phased in and out again, she noticed the shattered remnants of the antidote bottle nearby.  
"It could be that," she told Jekyll, jerking her head to where the bottle lay. "But we need to get him into the Infirmary."  
"I agree," Jekyll nodded, concerned. Allan and Tom rushed forward to help. Allan grabbed Skinner's armpits and Tom lifted his ankles. They ran all the way to the Infirmary and set him down on one of the cots there. Nemo came in when he heard the commotion.  
"What happened?" Nemo exclaimed.  
"That is what we're going to find out after we stabilize him," Mina told him, grabbing a sedative. Jekyll caught her wrist.  
"Too risky," he shook his head, no longer nervous or stuttering. He was definitely in his element. "We don't know what caused this; the sedative might worsen it."  
Dorian came in as Mina and Jekyll found some straps and secured Skinner down. "I heard a commotion outside. What's wrong with him?" He gestured at Skinner.  
"We have no idea," Allan said. "But it's bad."  
Skinner continued to thrash about, struggling, waiting for sweet relief. His strangled cries were horrible to bear; he sounded a bit like a dying cat being dragged under a carriage. He still phased in and out, but his visibility periods began to last for a few more seconds.  
They could only watch as Skinner suffered and screamed his lungs out. No doubt, if he survived, then Mina would have to treat him for a sore throat.  
Well, that is IF he survived.  
Mina sincerely hoped so. Although she was sometimes cold to Skinner, she cared for him as a friend. *I don't know what we'd do without him* she found herself thinking. *He is invaluable to us.*  
Skinner's torment finally began to subside, because he quieted down and finally passed out, fully visible. Jekyll found a blanket and covered him as Mina shooed the rest of the men out, to let her and Jekyll treat their now-visible friend.  
  
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(#1) For those of you who have no idea who John Seward is, he's one of the men in Dracula (the same story that Mina comes from!). He owns the asylum next to the estate Dracula brought.  
  
A/N: Okay, people, Skinner is fully visible now! *ducks and dodges the flames that come from the readers* Wait, wait, let me finish. Expect a twist in the next chapter, and please, if you review, tell me roughly or in detail how you want Skinner to look like. Redhead, blond, dark-haired, that kind of thing. Waste no space in doing so; I might use them. Hope you enjoyed the story, and be patient, chapter 10 will be up soon. 


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: Thank you for the reviews. I know you hate me now because I made Skinner visible. Thanks for the descriptions, they were really helpful to me even though I didn't use them (no offense meant, mind). My twist might not be that twisted, but hey. It's a twist, right?  
  
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CHAPTER 10  
  
INFIRMARY NAUTILUS LONDON DOCKS  
  
The League members crowded around the unconscious form of Skinner as Mina explained her findings. She had put the shattered bottle's last remaining contents through a series of unrelenting tests, hoping to find out what had caused Skinner to become visible again.  
"So, basically, what you're saying," Tom said, crossing his arms over his chest, "Is that it's a kinda catalyst for reversing the process that made Skinner invisible in the first place."  
"Yes," Mina nodded. "I believe that it is the antidote, or something very much like."  
"What did that poor bugger to himself?" Allan muttered to himself. Tom heard it and nodded, just as a moan came from behind the curtain that separated them from Skinner's bed.  
Jekyll pulled aside the white curtain and they saw the very visible form of Skinner, clad in a loose, formless white garment most likely seen in a hospital. His shoulder-length, messy red hair lay limply on the pillow, wet from his sweating due to his fever.  
He had pale skin and freckles on the boyish face. Mina hadn't seen his eyes yet, but she reckoned that they were blue. Well, she would have to see for herself.  
She was getting sincerely worried that he wouldn't pull through. His fever had skyrocketed a few minutes ago and she dared not give him anything. They had to rely on him and his will to live if he was to pull through.  
A groan escaped Skinner once again, and he began to stir, much to Jekyll's astonishment and relief.  
"Ow," was the first thing the formerly invisible man said as he woke up, opening his eyes and squinting in the light. "Was I kidnapped and tortured?"  
Despite himself, Allan chuckled softly.  
"I didn't know you were a redhead, Skinner," Tom remarked. Skinner gave a weak smile and let Jekyll help him sit up. Before he could answer, though, he gave a sneeze and he disappeared, leaving only the clothes he was wearing, held up by some invisible force.  
Another sneeze, and Skinner reappeared.  
"Whoa," Tom said, not knowing what to say.  
"Fascinating," Nemo said to himself.  
"Did he just turn invisible again?" Jekyll asked Mina. She nodded.  
Dorian, for once, looked interested. "This is certainly unusual," he drawled, leaning against the frame that kept the curtain up.  
"I didn't know I could do that," Skinner said, holding a hand up and examining it in the light.  
"Skinner, you owe us an explanation," Nemo said, eyes narrowed in either relief or anger.  
"Er...right," Skinner flinched. He explained about the antidote, the factory, John and he message. He did leave out his real reason for taking the antidote, though.  
"And why did you do it?" Allan asked.  
"Well, Allan," Skinner was indignant. "When you're invisible, its bloody hard to spend your money!"  
Jekyll let out a small laugh.  
"Is this John Seward the owner of the Carfax Asylum near London?" Mina asked, meaning to look up her old friend. It had been so long since they'd seen each other; ever since Jonathan died...the men she had fought with against Dracula had lost touch.  
"Former owner," Skinner corrected. "After some scandal or suchlike he sold it to somebody and moved up here to help Griffin."  
"The original man who developed the serum," Nemo offered. "And who died while experimenting."  
Skinner flinched visibly. "Yeah. That Jack Griffin (#1). Unfortunate loss, though. That man, he was a great drinking buddy. Why, once, when we -"  
"Skinner, shut up," Mina, Allan and Dorian said in unison.  
Skinner gave another one of his adorable indignant looks. Jekyll smiled; Skinner looked like a disgruntled six-year-old with pale skin, a smattering of freckles, and flaming red hair that looked as if he had just gotten out of bed. His eyes were a brilliant purple-green, probably due to the effects of the antidote.  
"This is the first time I've seen purple eyes," Dorian remarked.  
"Jealous, are you?" Skinner grinned, showing a full set of almost- perfect teeth. "Afraid of the competition?"  
"For?" Dorian had that look on his face again; the one that had contempt and boredom mixed in, pretending he didn't know what Skinner was talking about.  
"Mina, of course!" Skinner said, glancing at her. "Now that I'm visible again, you've got one more man to try and beat for her fair heart."  
  
One elegant brow lifted from Mina as Skinner flashed her a cheeky smile.  
"We need to keep him here so we can conduct some tests," Jekyll told Nemo. "We're not entirely sure if he's stable."  
"Whaat?!" Skinner exclaimed.  
  
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LONDON, ENGLAND  
  
THE JEKYLL RESIDENCE  
  
"This is so itchy," Skinner complained as he scratched his arm through the shirt he had borrowed from Tom. He and Jekyll had not been able to get a hansom from the docks to Jekyll's house, and had to walk. Skinner didn't mind, until Jekyll had handed him shoes. He had gone 'What, shoes too?!'. "How does Tom wear these kind of things?"  
"He rolls the sleeves up," Jekyll pointed out as they reached the front door of Jekyll's house. "Maybe because of that?"  
"Humph." Skinner scratched his elbow as he fidgeted. "Seriously, I need to get used to wearing pants. It itches down there."  
Jekyll's expression changed from its usual placidness to a appalled look as Skinner mentioned his nether regions (#2). "Er...."  
It was midday, and as usual, it had just rained. The sunlight now peeked through the clouds, the sky barely visible behind them. The streets smelled like fresh grass, but Skinner believed it was just him. The incident outside Buckingham Palace had been splashed all over the headlines of every paper in London and beyond, but the gloomy mood that the city had been in the past few days had lifted with the clearing of the air.  
Skinner laughed. He scratched his nose. "Well, it feels good to be able to see myself in the mirror again."  
"Your eye color is certainly unusual," Jekyll said.  
"I know." Skinner loved his eyes. Originally, they had been a bright sparking blue. "How many people have purple eyes?"  
"...but not too noticeable," Jekyll finished. Skinner grinned just as they walked up the steps to Jekyll's home.  
"I'll try to keep from sneezing," Skinner told his friend. "I have no idea how your wife would handle it if I disappeared in front of her." Jekyll nodded as he put the key in the lock and turned it, opening the door for Skinner to enter.  
"Please, do come in."  
"Thank you," Skinner said. As he stepped into the small but comfy house, the delicious smell of a roasting chicken filled his nostrils. "Is that me or is that roast?"  
Jekyll looked over his shoulder as he closed and locked the door behind him. "Marie's at it again. She enjoys cooking."  
"She cooks roast?" Skinner inhaled deeply. "It smells great! What's her recipe?"  
"A Sanders' secret," Marie smiled as she walked out of the kitchen to greet her husband and their visitor. "Family recipe. I didn't know you could cook," she added. Skinner gave Jekyll a glance. *Oh, boy, Jekyll has great taste. Either that or he was plain lucky to have such an understanding wife. Maybe I SHOULD disappear in front of her; if she can handle Hyde, I shouldn't be a problem.* Skinner thought. Marie was beautiful; her eyes the color of warm chocolate twinkled with love for Jekyll and her sand-colored hair was down in long waves. Her pale pink frock was simple yet elegant, and she bore the air of a dedicated wife and would one day make a great mother.  
"So did I," Jekyll said, surprised.  
"Well, er..." Skinner pulled at his collar nervously. "Let's just say I did it to impress a certain woman a long time ago."  
"Someone special?" Marie asked as she led the way to the lounge.  
"My sister, actually," Skinner smiled at the memory (#3). "Er...She challenged me to cook something that wouldn't taste like it was made of rotten fish. She made me learn how to cook; more like a torture camp, if you ask me."  
"What makes you say that?" Marie asked, curious. She pushed open the door to the brightly-lit dining room.  
"Well, she - whoops!" Skinner's foot had hit the edge of the table. The whole handsome table shook and a plate had fallen off and nearly shattered on the floor if Skinner hadn't been fast enough to catch it. "Sorry 'bout that, ma'am." He handed the hand-made plate back to her.  
"Please, call me Marie, Mr. Skinner," she smiled and put the plate back on the table. "Henry, would you help me with the roast?"  
"Alright," Jekyll said. "Skinner, make yourself at home. After lunch, we'll go to the tailors to get you some clothes."  
Marie laughed as Skinner gave a loud groan.  
  
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LONDON, ENGLAND  
  
DEEP IN THE CITY STREETS OUTSIDE BUCKINGHAM PALACE  
  
"Well, boy," Allan smiled as they reached the last leg of their tour of London. "I guess you don't need to be introduced to the Palace, do you?"  
Tom grinned and shook his head. "Nope. I had a great view of it two days ago."  
"In a battle."  
"With Matilda," Tom added. "You haven't changed, you know."  
"Me? Well...Allan Quatermain is dead. Cyrus Dale is all that's left." Allan stuffed his hands into his pockets for no reason at all. "Allan died in Mongolia."  
There was a silence as the two stopped opposite the Palace gates and watched the change of guard. The people who had clean up after them had done a remarkably good job in such a short time, making it look as if nothing had happened. The only reminder there was was the few scratches, some deep, some not, into the cobblestones.  
"No, he didn't," Tom said. He looked at Allan, giving a look that Allan knew was too mature for his age; another reminder that Tom had grown into a man. *And a pretty fine one at that.* Allan thought. "Allan Quatermain didn't die; not in memory, not in spirit."  
"You've grown up, boy, become a leader," Allan smiled after he paused, tousling the top of Tom's head as he would a young child's. "And you need a haircut."  
"I know," Tom smiled. "And thanks."  
"You learned from the best, didn't you?" Allan teased. Both of them laughed.  
  
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NAUTILUS MINA'S CABIN LONDON DOCKS  
  
"I don't have a place to stay," Dorian said to Mina as he watched her pack.  
"And you want to stay at my house?" she asked him coolly. She folded one of her two bowler hats and put it inside her bag.  
"That was the idea, yes," Dorian tilted his head slightly. "So, will you let me, until I find one for myself?"  
Mina stopped and asked a question on a totally different topic, the same topic that brought him back. "Why did you do it?"  
Dorian sighed and turned around, walking away from Mina until he faced the wall where his portrait hung, covered by a piece of heavy cloth. "As I told you before, Mina." Dorian turned to face her. "I wanted to face my demons. Undo the flaws of my character."  
"And so you come and help us fight Maddox?" she asked. He inclined his head slightly.  
"I am not without traits," he admitted, smirking. She humphed and went back to folding her shirt.  
"Don't flatter yourself."  
"Do I?" he asked as he came up behind her, lightly touching her arm. She stopped again, secretly savoring his touch. When he had died by her hand...she had been devastated; she was still in love with Dorian Gray. "Or do I speak the truth, Mina dear?"  
"Dorian..." she turned to face him. She was pleasantly surprised when he took her mouth into his after cupping her chin lightly. She lost her breath for a while, but got it again when the immortal parted their lips. He didn't let go of her chin, though, and keep his face near, so near that she could feel his warmth breath, his hair forming a comforting curtain.  
"I love you," he whispered. "I never stopped loving you.'  
"Dorian..." somehow, she remembered to breathe. "I..."  
"Just tell me you love me, Mina," he whispered. "Please."  
"I love you."  
  
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NAUTILUS LONDON DOCKS  
  
Since most of the crew was still on shore leave, Nemo decided to take a walk around his Lady. Hands clasped behind his back, he walked with sure and steady footing even in the engine room.  
*My lady,* he thought proudly. *And my trustworthy crew.*  
Still, there were those who were missed dearly, either died in the line of duty or suchlike. As he reached the bridge once more, where he started in the first place, he noticed a spot on the gleaming white walls that was empty.  
*I wonder why I didn't think of it in the first place.*  
For the first time in many years, Nemo gave a small, tiny, minuscule smile to himself. *It would be best.*  
With that, he pivoted on his heel and went out to main London to make arrangements for a gold plate to be engraved in honor of the men lost in the many years that the Sword of the Ocean had been at sea; they deserved to be honored for their unfaltering loyalty and courage.  
  
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LONDON, ENGLAND  
  
DEEP IN THE CITY  
  
"Jekyll, you have got to be joking," Skinner said as he and Jekyll waved down a hansom outside the tailor's. "How am I going to wear all those clothes?"  
"One day at a time," Jekyll answered. Skinner snorted as the hansom pulled up.  
"Brilliant answer," the red-head said dryly, getting into the cab. "Absolutely brilliant."  
Skinner leaned back into the seat, stretching. "I still think walking around in my coat is good enough. But Mina had to rip it apart."  
"She did it so you wouldn't strangle yourself," said Jekyll after telling the driver where to go. "Where is your home?"  
"I'll walk from your place," Skinner said. "I'm thinking of settling down. Get a wife, a kid, you know."  
"Really?" Jekyll was surprised; Skinner wasn't exactly the role model for a father. He had trouble imagining Skinner with children.  
"Yeah," Skinner said thoughtfully. "But the wife part is going to be the hard bit."  
"You only ever loved Mina." It was a statement made by Jekyll.  
"I guess its obvious enough, innit? But she loves that bloody immortal; I don't get what she sees in that bugger. I'm telling you, the only bloody thing that understands that woman is god. I don't think she understands herself at all!"  
Jekyll's wide saucer eyes widened and then he chuckled.  
"That bugger tries to kill her and yet she's in love with him," Skinner sounded incredulous. "Tell me, is Marie as puzzling as Mina?"  
Jekyll shook his head. "No. Mina is a...singular...woman. That was why she was recruited into the League in the first place."  
"Heh. Well, Jekyll, I swear to you this: I'm not going to give up on her until she marries that bugger!"  
"You will have plenty of time to do that, I'm sure," Jekyll laughed, the first time Skinner had heard the doctor do so confidently, without the signature nervousness caused by Hyde.  
"What makes you say that? Its not like the League will be called in everyday, you know."  
"These are tremulous times, Skinner. I'm sure something will come up."  
  
~THE END~  
  
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(#1) A short note: Jack Griffin is the HG Wells' story's invisible man. I'm using him instead of Hawley Griffin, the guy in the book.  
  
(#2) Er... you know what I'm talking about, right? If you don't, it's down there...Yup, down THERE. *nods*  
  
(#3) Okay, so there was no sister mentioned in the movie, but it's called AU, right?  
  
A/N: Hate me if you will; this chapter in the story of the League has closed. But then again, when one closes, another opens, right? Anyways, hope you enjoyed this final chapter, I know it probably sucks (I think Mina is totally out of character; you judge). I haven't been that good as of late, and I know it. Well, thanks for all the reviews so far; it really made my day. Watch out for a new LXG fic; I swear, I will write another one if it is the last thing I do! 


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